Lotte's Okada finds his niche

by Jim Allen (Aug 17, 2011)

Although Yoshifumi Okada has a history of being the odd man out, the
Marines center fielder has shown a knack for getting where he wants to
go.

The first Chiba Lotte player to make the roster after joining as a
developmental player, Okada has thrived at the top part of the Marines
order this year, where he has scored 50 runs, is fourth in the Pacific
League in steals with 21 and second with 28 infield hits.

Although his game is all about speed, the 27-year-old Okada said the infield hits are purely accidental.

"I'm up there trying to hit line drives," he told The Daily Yomiuri
on Tuesday afternoon at QVC Marine Field. "Those [the infield hits]
happen when I miss-hit the ball. When I do that, it's like, 'Now I've
had it,' and all I can do is try and get down the line as fast as I
can."

It should be no surprise that Okada is doing well when forced to
rely on Plan B. After all, his life in baseball has had perhaps more
downs than ups.

When a knee injury as a Nippon University freshman in 2003 left him
unable to play, he quit school. The following year, after Okada
recovered, he began playing for a club team in his native Tochigi
Prefecture.

In the autumn of 2008, the Marines named the captain of the
successful All Ashikaga Club team as their sixth pick in the
developmental phase of the draft.

"I've always had confidence in my game, in being able to use my
speed," he said. "Being drafted as a developmental player just meant I
would get a chance. It didn't matter that I wasn't a top pick.

"Had I been drafted earlier, I would still have had to prove myself."

When given a shot at a starting outfield job last summer, Okada
floundered. He finished his first PL season in batting .176. In the
postseason, however, an injury to fellow outfielder Shoitsu Omatsu saw
Okada start the last six Japan Series games. He had three hits and two
RBIs in Game 7. His 12th-inning triple drove in the Series' final run
and helped the Marines clinch the title.

"That was big, and I was nervous, but I did a pretty good job of treating those like ordinary games," Okada said.

This spring, manager Norifumi Nishimura handed the speedster the
center field job, and Okada has added 100 points to his batting average
from a year ago.

"Knowing you're going to play is everything," he said. "Last season,
I felt pressure to hit in every at-bat. I was swinging at everything.
This year, I've been taking a lot of those pitches. That's the biggest
difference."

Nishimura said Okada became bigger after speedster Takashi Ogino went out with injury on May 13.

"He and Ogino are similar players, fast guys who can hit and play
defense," Nishimura said. "We didn't skip a beat because of him. You
can't win with speed alone, but he gives us that weapon."